


What's Under the Bed?

by EllowynTheNotKing



Category: Original Work
Genre: Creepy, Darkness following, Gen, Horror, Things under the bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-21
Updated: 2019-02-21
Packaged: 2019-11-01 23:53:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17877164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EllowynTheNotKing/pseuds/EllowynTheNotKing
Summary: Some nights you look behind yourself a thousand times expecting to see something. Tonight I didn't look once and I probably should have.





	What's Under the Bed?

 

This is how I will start my tale.

Everyone’s afraid of the thing in the dark. From the youngest child to the wisest adult. 

There’s a good reason for it, but not everyone remembers it, or ever fully knows it, to begin with. But we all know there’s  _ something. _

Now I’ll get to where my story starts. 

I live alone, my apartment isn’t large but it’s enough for me. And for others, I guess, although I hadn’t realized until tonight.

Tonight was like most nights I guess. 

It was dark when I arrived home, the darkness seemed to press around the neighborhood more than normal, causing me to quicken my step. 

More lights in the halls were out tonight too. Despite many maintenance requests, nothing had been done. Tonight the dark between the lights felt heavier, fuller than normal. Coupled with my previous anxiety from outdoors I moved as quickly as I could without running. 

I almost couldn’t get the key into the lock of my door, my hands shook with unnecessary adrenaline. 

The dark felt fuller there in my home too. 

I walked through what should have been my space flicking on every light to regain the feeling of ‘safe’ and ‘mine.’

The next few hours passed peacefully enough. The general creaks and moans of the building were almost comforting. The noises of other people nearby. They were both more and less comforting. At least those sounds had a discernable cause. 

I made a big meal, enough for a couple days worth of lunch too, at least I thought I did. At some point between the meal being finished, and when I went to put the leftovers away, most of it was gone. I know I ate a lot of it, but there should have been more. Now I know where it all went, but then I had no idea, and it frustrated me. 

Getting ready for bed was a chore and a half, two of the lights in the bathroom went out with a bang while I was showering. Then two more in my room. And possibly a few more in the kitchen. They either went out or I turned off the light in there and forgot. 

The first ones I replaced, after that I left it as a job for another time. 

I was too tired to deal with them. Was, now I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to sleep again. 

Turning off all the lights was harder than it should have been. 

Every flick let the darkness further and further in. Every step to the next room felt like something dangerous was dogging my heels. 

The worst part was I couldn’t force myself to turn around, to look for it. 

For the first time since I was a child, I took a running leap into my bed. To avoid anything that could have been beneath it. 

Which now I know may have been a good choice. 

As I lay in bed I tossed and turned, no matter what I did, sleep was always just a hair out of reach. 

I lay motionless in my bed. It was all I could do, hoping that sleep would creep upon me sooner rather than later.

Unfortunately, that’s not what crept upon me.

Something large, inky but for it’s face, like a great grinning skull, climbed onto my bed. It smells like death, it’s hands or paws, at least the claws at the ends are like steak knives, huge and sharp feeling. 

Hearing my noise of fright it looked into my face,  _ and it spoke _ ! 

It murmured a greeting, then said the most terrifying thing that it could have. 

_ Sorry to bother.  _ It rumbled like coming thunder,  _ I would have slept beneath your bed, but there were scary monsters down there. I’ll just sleep up here instead.  _

Then like a large dog, it turned around and laid itself down over my bed and body, and promptly began snoring.

I can see dawn starting to light the sky outside, it’s still here, laying on me. I don’t know if I’ll make it to tomorrow. 

If I do, I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to sleep again. 

But what really terrifies me is a question.

What’s under the bed?

**Author's Note:**

> Unbetaed.  
> Written a while back, thought I'd post it here.  
> Questions and comments are always welcome, as are prompts.  
> Always looking for prompts, horror prompts will likely be answered sooner.   
> If you can think of any tags that fit this story please comment/message me.


End file.
